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"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa)
07/29/2019 at 23:07 • Filed to: None

Final thoughts on the new 2019 Kia Soul after 1,300 miles in one:

Massive, MASSIVE improvement over the outgoing model. The difference in interior build quality can’t be exaggerated and it rivals Infiniti quite handily. Yes, Kia interior better than Infiniti. Low bar? Certainly. But worthy of note.

The sound system was poorly equalized by whoever rented this previously. Once fixed the system in this car sounds great.

Android auto is amazing. The stock infotainment isn’t awful either.

There were a few downsides:

31mpg, for almost entirely steady state highway driving, is kind of disappointing.

The steering and suspension... this thing seems to be trying to be a “sports car” which is the most idiotic thing I have ever heard of and the second biggest design fail of this car. Why does an econobox need to ride this hard? Every little bump and divot in the road is extremely pronounced and uncomfortable. Sure, it corners flat as all hell but it’s a nose heavy front-engined econobox so... who are you trying to fool here? I used to think E46 M3s were uncomfortably stiff but after driving one of those back to back with this it felt like a Cadillac. And the steering. Holy hell. I’ve owned 3 cars now without power steering (none of which were supposed to not have power steering, one of them was a 4,000lb jaguar) and NONE of those had steering this god damn heavy on the highway. It’s exhausting and there is no multiple modes on these lower trim levels. By the time we stopped for lunch on our trip my arms felt like they were going to fall out of my sockets by constantly tugging the heavy ass steering around.

The seat. Holy shit. The seat. I’m a small guy but I’ve driven and owned quite a few freakin cars and I’ve never NOT fit in one to the extent I don’t fit this economy car you’d think would be as one-size-fits-all as possible. Nope! The front edge of the seat sticks forward about an inch further than every other seat in the universe and has an incredibly tight radius to it which has the effect of jabbing CONSTANTLY into the back of my knees and requiring constant shifts to avoid losing circulation in my lower legs. And that’s only possible if I have the cruise control set and don’t need to have my feet on the pedals. Traffic? Absolute agony.

So yeah. Decent car but ruined thoroughly by two dumb-ass design decisions that made renting one for a weekend road trip an absolutely miserable, hateful experience. I’m generally pretty easy on cheap and cheerful economy cars because I realize what they’re supposed to be but this was just inexcusable.

DISCUSSION (20)

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
07/29/2019 at 23:40

Wanna experience hell? Drive a Kia with no ac when it's 90

smobgirl > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
07/29/2019 at 23:43

I did ten hours in a Focus with no ac when it was 108...fuck Hertz.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
07/29/2019 at 23:48

The Fit also has a Sporty suspension. However even my wife likes it. She was used to the spongy, wet noodle suspension in her Cavalier . When we first got the Fit she mentioned that it felt “bumpier” but she also liked how much more confident it was around a corner, and so do I.

TL:DR I think an econobox with a sporty suspension isn’t a bad thing.

facw > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
07/29/2019 at 23:53

I rented a Forte in Texas in August to drive between Houston and Austin and back. It had AC, and I am glad (though I did end up driving with the windows down a lot). It could have used new tires and/or and alignment though, it was super-squirrely above 80 or so.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > smobgirl
07/29/2019 at 23:58

Yeah...no thanks

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
07/30/2019 at 00:24

Interesting...the Soul was never actually positioned as an econobox in Oz (perhaps that’s why it failed - we will only get the e-Soul in this generation ). Kia left those roles to the mega successful Picanto and the quite popular Cerato.

It’s also worth noting that all Hyundai Group cars that get an Oz release get a locally developed suspension specification from the factory... including the N30. Actually the Oz suspension settings for the N30 are being normalised for the RoW in the next update apparently...

DipodomysDeserti > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
07/30/2019 at 00:31

I DD’d a ‘66 GMC with no AC and vinyl seats for a year...in Phoenix.

That was a sweaty year.

DipodomysDeserti > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
07/30/2019 at 00:33

Kinja'd!!!

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
07/30/2019 at 01:20

none of which were supposed to not have power steering, one of them was a 4,000lb jaguar

Holy shit, you drove the XJS wi thou t working PAS? Either they’ve got very different geometry to the saloons,or you’ve got WAY bigger arm m us cles than me, bro ther. I nearly crashed the S3 the one time I got towed in it: I totally wasn’t expecting to need both hands on one side of th e wheel to turn . The brakes, on t he other hand, were fine without power assist, which I found out by practica lly yanking the tow car o ff the road when I rea l ised my wheel-twirling wasn’t keeping up with his .

pip bip - choose Corrour > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
07/30/2019 at 03:33

if that’s the case why does the Toyota Camry still exist?

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
07/30/2019 at 06:34

I guess in stop and go traffic that would suck....it was 36C here the other day plus humidex and I was still fairly comfortable in the Accent with no A/C, mind you I had the drivers and passengers side windows open and was driving at 80 and 100kph so lots of airflow to keep me cool!

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
07/30/2019 at 07:05

I finally have 2 vehicles with working AC.

Many a day has been spent in 95-100 degree weather, with 90+% humidity, in vehicles with no AC. When it’s what you’re used to, it’s not a big deal.

That brings up another interesting thing: The number of modern cars whose AC cannot properly cool the vehicle inside. Holy hell, when we were test driving the day we bought our new van, there were only 2 vehicles that could actually cool enough to get it comfortable in the cabin.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
07/30/2019 at 07:09

I think you can make a car that does both well.

I like a tight/responsive vehicle, but I’m not willing to drive a lumber wagon to accomplish it.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
07/30/2019 at 08:04

I don’t mind it on highways, but I got stuck in a 30 minute jam, not moving at all the other day.

So gross

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
07/30/2019 at 08:15

Yeah, that would not be pleasant....although with the drivers and passengers side windows open and a bit of a breeze it wouldn’t be quite so bad...but a long jam would suck.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
07/30/2019 at 08:37

80% of the time I owned the XJS it didn’t have power steering thanks to a broken SUPER goofy high pressure hose coupling . Parking it was a minor hassle but it as soon as you got moving it was fine. The other no-power-steering cars were an NA Miata and ‘98 Civic sedan which... yeah no big deal at all.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > pip bip - choose Corrour
07/30/2019 at 08:38

hwut

pip bip - choose Corrour > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
07/30/2019 at 08:41

facw > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
07/30/2019 at 08:42

We don’t get the Picanto here. We’ve had some versions of the Cerato (as the Spectra and Forte). The Soul has been sold as a cheap car with a little style for twenty-some things. Turns out other people like affordable cars with upright seating positions as well.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
07/30/2019 at 14:35

Definitely different from the sedans then.